George Clooney, who has always prided himself on being footloose and fancy free, seems to have had a surprising change of heart, according to Eileen Condon who met up with 'Gorgeous George'.

GREAT news girls! The world's most eligible bachelor says he's looking for love and marriage. The 41-year-old star, who was once unsuccessfully bet $10,000 by Nicole Kidman that he'd be married again by 40, now says walking down the aisle might not be such a bad option after all.

'I'm not put off by it,' he smiles, flashing those perfect white teeth,

'About 10 years ago I once said, 'I've done it once and I'm not doing it again,' and it became a big thing. But I'm not anti-marriage. A lot of my best friends are married and it's worked for them. I still really enjoy my freedom, but maybe I'll meet the women who makes me rearrange my priorities.'

There's certainly no shortage of offers. He's fast approaching his 42nd birthday, but 'gorgeous George' more than lives up to the nickname. Oozing sex appeal and with a highly flirtatious smile, it's hardly surprising the star didn't want for female company during his recent trip to London.

And as much as he insists he's ready for a quieter lifestyle, the man sure knows how to party, hitting the capital's bars and clubs with a vengeance, and always with a female entourage in tow.

'I enjoy drinking. I'm a professional drinker,' he grins mischievously, 'and London is one of the best cities in the world. I love the nightlife. Great restaurants and clubs, it's really alive.'

You can't blame him for letting his hair down. Clooney has worked non-stop in the past couple of years, appearing in the hit movie Ocean's Eleven, alongside Brad Pitt, shooting two new films Solaris, and Intolerable Cruelty, and making his directorial debut in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

He also co-produced the upcoming Far From Heaven, starring Julianne Moore. It's no wonder there's been little time for romance.

'It's been an insane schedule,' he says. 'I've been working seven days a week - 18, 19 hour days. It's the hardest I've ever worked. It's been exhausting and I looked beat. So, no, I'm not dating anyone. There hasn't been time, it just wouldn't have been fair on anyone.'

He might be exhausted but his fans will no doubt be delighted by the slew of Clooney movies headed our way - particularly his latest, Solaris, in which they'll get to see a whole lot more of him.

In one scene the star bares his bum, not surprisingly, causing a huge flurry of excitement among film fans. But he modestly fails to see what all the fuss is about.

'I think all the attention surrounding that just happened because it was the first bit of publicity to come out about the film,' he says. 'I think it was just a marketing buzz.'

It's not just Clooney's naked buttocks which are causing a stir. The film itself hasn't gone down well in America, marking the first serious hiccough in his career for a long time.

It may be that audiences have struggled with the fact that Solaris, a science fiction drama, is a very different departure from Clooney's, usual, witty debonair roles.

In the film - a remake of a 1972 Russian movie - he plays a mournful psychologist who travels to a planet where his dead wife (Natascha McElhone) visits him from beyond the grave, leaving him to decide whether he should bring her back to life.

Clooney knows making the film was a big risk and admits it's not an easy one to pigeonhole.

'I think it's going to have a tough time finding an audience,' he says honestly. 'But I also think it's the kind of film that will catch on internationally because they might be willing to sit still a little bit longer and watch it.

'It dares the audience to sit still and ask questions, which is always dangerous but I want to try and do films that are going to last past an opening weekend.'

Apart from that, the movie was also a chance for Clooney to reunite with director Steven Soderbergh. The pair have collaborated together on several projects including Ocean's Eleven - and Clooney admits he was desperate to work with him again - even though Soderbergh had already chosen British actor Daniel Day-Lewis for the Solaris role.

'He'd offered it to Daniel, who works and then he doesn't work, so the project was just sitting there,' explains Clooney.

'So I wrote Steven a letter telling him that he might not think I was the right guy for the job but I'd give it my best shot. He called me up and said let's do it. Steven and I seem to have the same taste in things - we seem to work the same way and we both want to fight for films that we want to see get made.'

Clooney is probably even more respectful of the Oscar-winning director now he's made his own directorial debut with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, out next month.

Happily he has not completely disappeared behind the camera though. He also has a supporting role in the film, alongside Julia Roberts and Drew Barrymore, but admits directing is his new passion.

'I was great. I kept giving myself nothing but great notes. You know, stuff like, 'George, that's terrific. George you were great in that scene. I don't think anyone can do it better that you did',' he says with a laugh.

Now that Clooney can add 'successful director' to his already bulging CV it's hardly surprising the multi-talented star doesn't worry too much about the future.

'It's fun to be where I'm at right now,' he beams. 'I'm in the position to pick and chose and pick the ones that I think are fun. I'm really enjoying where my life's at right now.

'I've always had the feeling that life is short and that there would be nothing worse than waking up at 65 and thinking you didn't give it your best shot. Well, I'm having fun giving it my best shot.'

And who knows the icing on the cake might just be meeting that elusive Ms Right. Hopefully not too soon though!

* Solaris is now on general release. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is released on March 14. And Welcome To Collinwood, which also stars Clooney, is out on April 25.